February, ’23] 
BUSINESS PROCEEDINGS 
11 
genetics. The conference discussed a plan for federating the Biological Societies and 
passed the following resolution: “That the Division of Biology and Agriculture of the 
National Research Council call a meeting of officers or representatives of biological 
societies to meet at Toronto to discuss the formation of a federation of Biological 
Societies.” 
The Division of Biology and Agriculture passed the following resolution at their 
meeting July 24, 1921. 
“That the Executive Committee on behalf of the Division of Biology and Agri¬ 
culture of the National Research Council call such a meeting of representatives of 
biological societies, extending invitations to the societies represented in the Division 
and such others as may be considered practicable.” 
Conforming to this resolution a call was sent out by the National Research Council 
to the President and Secretary or other representatives of Biological societies to 
attend a meeting and dinner Dec. 27, 1921, at Toronto. 
Twelve societies together with Sections F, G and O of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science and the Division of Biology and Agriculture of the 
National Research Council were represented by one or more members. 
After a brief explanation it was voted as the sense of the meeting that the inter¬ 
society conferences should be continued to consider the feasibility of federation and to 
develop plans and that each society and the Sections represented should designate 
their president and secretary as members of an inter-society council which shall be 
authorized (1) to deal with all matters of common interest, such as coordination of 
programs, that are consistent with the existing regulations of the constituent societies 
and (2) to draw up proposals for a constitution and by-laws of a federation of the 
societies in question, and to present them for action at the next annual meeting. 
It was also voted that the Division of Biology and Agriculture of the National 
Research Council be requested to call a meeting of the Council early in the spring. 
After listening to a discussion of the benefits of the proposed federation, publications 
and the correlation of meetings and programs, the conference adjourned for dinner. 
In January 1922 a letter was received by me as Secretary of the Association from 
Dr. Frank R. Lillie stating that he had been requested by the chairman of the 
Division of Biology and Agriculture of the National Research Council to look after 
the program for the meeting of the inter-society council. With it was a list of topics 
which it seemed desirable to discuss at the conference and a request for suggestions. 
The topics dealt with—I. arrangement for programs of the different societies and II. 
the scope of a federation»and the constitution and by-laws that appeared desirable. 
In reply I expressed approval of arrangements for making the programs more satis¬ 
factory but stated that I was not convinced that closer affiliation than that arranged 
for by the council would be of material benefit to this association. In view of the 
character of some of the questions suggested for discussion that intimated that a 
“one big society” was under consideration, I expressed the opinion that this associa¬ 
tion for more than 30 years had been an independent body and I had no doubt but 
what it would wish to continue as such. 
In February a letter was received from Dr. L. R. Jones, Chairman Division of 
Biology and Agriculture, National Research Council, stating that the conference 
would be held in Washington, D. C., April 23. It stated that a decision had been 
reached to invite one representative from each society to attend instead of the presi- 
